When a celebrity has a peculiar and unique surname, anyone and everyone who happens to share it with them will inevitably be faced with questions about whether or not they’re related.
This is the case between Brandy Norwood and Dorothy Norwood. In the entertainment industry, their last name isn’t something that you can come across as often as you do with Smiths or Williams or Jones. In fact, the name Norwood is almost always associated to either Brandy or Dorothy.
As both singers share a lot of things in common, is it possible that Dorothy and Brandy are somehow related to each other? To answer that question, let’s dive right into their ancestral backgrounds.
Dorothy Norwood’s Family Tree
Based on available records, the 87-year-old Gospel singer Dorothy Norwood was born and raised by her parents in Atlanta, Georgia. The names of her parents, siblings, or any close relative were not disclosed to the public.
Besides, Dorothy is not a musician for the mainstream. She sings praise and worship songs, and that’s usually what gospel singers ever care about in terms of their career. Most of them do not care about fame and media attention. Hence, it’s understandable why details about Dorothy’s private life aren’t readily available.
What we do know, however, is that Dorothy’s entire family is also musically inclined. When she was 8 years of age, she and her family presented themselves as the Norwood Gospel Singers as they toured around different places. Her faith was heavily influenced by her father who once worked as a pastor.
Brandy Norwood’s Family Tree
Brandy Rayana Norwood, who usually only goes by her first name, was born in McComb, Mississippi to two African-American parents Willie and Sonja Norwood. She is the sister of singer and actor Ray J.
Unbeknownst to most people, there’s actually a lot of interesting facts surrounding Brandy Norwood’s family tree. According to her in a 2013 interview, there are actually several high-profile celebrities in their bloodline, such as:
- Bo Diddley
- Snoop Dogg
- Sasha Banks
Out of the three names, though, Brandy admitted that the only confirmed relative is Bo Diddley, who is actually her first cousin once removed.
Are Brandy and Dorothy Norwood Related?
Interestingly, these two highly talented singers have many common traits. Not only are they in the same ethnic group and have the same occupation, but they also have ties to gospel music.
Brandy revealed in an interview that her father was also a gospel singer. In fact, she claims that her father had such a significant influence on her and how she looked at music:
As you can see, there are many coincidences that make it even more probable that Brandy and Dorothy are related.
But what do available geneocology data tell us? Well, due to the lack of information regarding Dorothy’s ancestry, the answer of whether or not Dorothy and Brandy are related remains a mystery. We simply don’t have enough information to make a conclusion.
When asked about the subject, here’s what Brandy had to say:
“I think so. I’m not sure. If I’m not, I used to lie and say that I was [related to Dorothy Norwood] when I was a kid.”
Until we have a credible source of information to confirm or debunk Brandy and Dorothy’s alleged kinship, we’re afraid we just have to wait and see!
